Whoopie Pie. They go by many alias’ so don’t be alarmed if you have no idea what I’m talking about. When I was in college, most of my major (a whole 12 of us ladies) were from PA or outlying areas (NJ mostly). We were set to make whoopie pies one day and a girl from Southern Pa said, “what is THAT, it sounds dirty!?!” After we described it, a big glob of icing smooshed between two cake like cookies, she said, “Oh! You mean a ‘GOB’?”, One New Jersey chimed in, “No, that’s a ‘Black and White’”. So to most of us from Central Pa, they’re a “whoopie pie”, but to you they may be a “Gob”, “Black and White”, “Bob”, or a “BFO” (big fat oreo). Either way, it’s the same treat and yummy where ever you’re located!
I was checking out “the Pioneer Women” just the other day and was happy to find that she used a “cooked” icing on her Red Velvet Sheet Cake. A cooked icing is started by heating milk and flour, whisking until super thick, then cooling. You then take a fat (usually butter or shortening) and cream it with vanilla and sugar. For me, I grew up with a cooked icing recipe and we ALWAYS use it on whoopie pies. As you’d know, I was shocked when she said she’d never made an icing with flour until someone sent the recipe and persuaded her to try it. I know, flour and sugar seems more like a cake recipe than icing, but it is so fluffy and worth it in the end. Which brought me to another shocker the other day, when I checked out a blog and she also said she never made cooked icing until she found a recipe that needed for it. Even then, people see the flour and are super hesitant to try it. Sure you can easily mess it up (my mother did when she first started!). I’ll even say, the first time I made it by myself, I was on the phone with her (so really, she was there…) but still, it’s worth a shot! Maybe its just that I grew up in “Whoopie Pie Country” and my mother makes them literally, all. the. time. that I’ve engraved that icing recipe into my brain and have grown to love it, or maybe just because its delicious? Well, either way, I’ll post the recipe, and ya’ll can decide for yourself! =] And just for future sake, Maine is not where they originated from, they may have a paper trail from 1925 on, but I have recipes and books containing them, passed down from way before that! Plus a former flame’s grandmother was descended from Amish and she showed me her books and loose recipes as well. PA Dutch is where its at! =]
Cheater’s Whoopie Pie
1 cake mix (your choice of flavor)
3 eggs
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/4-1/2 cup flour
Mix all ingredients, except flour, together. Add flour, a little at a time until you have a slightly thicker batter that doesn’t run too much.
Drop onto cookie sheets and bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes. Let cool. “Pair” up the cookies to ones of similar size. Fill with icing and wrap in plastic wrap. (If they sit on top of each other without wrap on, the bottom cake and top cake of the other wp will stick-use caution if you’re going on looks)
*Variation* Bake in cake pan as directed (9×13″ or 8-9″ circles). Let cool. Split cake in half, spread in some icing. Replace top of cake, spread on more icing. Enjoy your giant whoopie pie!
Cooked Icing
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (you could also use shortening, I find it leaves a “film” though)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a saucepan, whisk together flour and milk. Turn heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and creamy. Let it cool completely.
Using your mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the thoroughly cooled flour mixture. Beat and beat until the icing is fluffy and no longer grainy.
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